Death Squeeze

The action in this murky tale of international intrigue jumps from Brazil to France to Switzerland. The locales are charming, and the book often gives graphic glimpses of Brazilian life, but the many layers of ever-changing affiliations between and intentions of characters eventually obscure the plot. And although Souza's ( The Emperor of the Amazon ) characters sometimes act in interesting ways, they are stock mystery personas: a rich fashion designer named Haidee, whose distant relative once witnessed something he wasn't meant to; and Miguel, the unsuspecting dupe who is drawn into the web. Miguel is a former military man, expelled by the armed forces when he voiced his suspicions about the sudden deaths of two friends. Haidee--who has known Miguel since he was little--is the kind of woman who shoots a former ally in the face when he spits on her. She leads Miguel on a wild goose chase that is interspersed with scenes of expatriate Brazilians in Paris, although it is not clear how these characters are connected until well into the novel. The involvement of evil henchmen, Swiss bank accounts and a suspected Communist conspiracy do not clear matters up any. (Dec.)